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Madhubani Art is one of India’s most popular traditional art forms. It originated in the district of Madhubani in the Mithila district of Bihar. These paintings also include features such as abstract geometric forms. These geometrical patterns symbolise commitment, love, vitality, peace, and prosperity. They are well known for depicting ceremonial content on important occasions such as birth or marriage and festivities.
The colours used to paint this were homemade initially. They were extracted from flowers and nature like- bougainvillaea, neem, henna leaves, etc. Thus the juice obtained is first mixed with resin and ordinary gum so that paint would stick to the painting medium. But now, colours are found in powdered form, although black is still obtained through black soot deposits of the diya flame and then dissolved in gum.
During the Ramayana age, king Janakpuri assigned the task to a few artists of painting, sketches of Sita’s marriage image to Lord Rama. This was the first discovery of Madhubani paintings. These paintings were cloaked in the archaeological discovery of Indian History, of the place from where it originated.
Pattachitra Art:
Pattachitra or Patachitra, another traditional art form of India, is a common term for contemporary, cloth-based scroll painting based in the East Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal. The name Pattachitra is adapted from the Sanskrit language, patta, implying canvas, and Chitra, meaning image. Therefore, Pattachitra is a painting rendered on canvas, illustrated by the affluent colourful display, imaginative motifs, and designs, and a representation of cardinal themes, often mythological in the portrayal.
Themes are chiefly on Lord Jagannath, Radha-Krishna, different ‘Visas’ of Shri Jagannath and ten incarnations of Vishnu Devi. The individual paintings of Gods and Goddesses were also painted. The Pattachitra art form is a mixture of folk and classical style but more inclined on the classical form. The dress styles of the paintings are all inspired by the Mughal era. The postures are quite well drawn in these paintings, and generally, the paintings also do not have any distant landscape or perspective. It is quite simple. All the paintings have decorative decorations, and the whole painting is designed in the form of a longer canvas.
The main idea of these paintings are:
- Jagannath Paintings.
- Vishnu Paintings.
- Saiva Paintings
- Ragachitras.
- Banda Chitra
- Yamapati and Yatripatas.
Patachitra paintings originated around the 5th century BC and centred the religious places like- Puri, Konark, and Bhubaneswar region.
Other types of cultural art forms originated all over India.
Mysore Paintings: Mysore Painting is a valuable form of classical South Indian portraiture, which emerged in and around the town of Mysore in Karnataka, facilitated and cherished by the kings of Mysore. Like many classical and traditional art forms of India, Mysore Paintings typically depict Hindu gods, goddesses, and Indian mythology tales. They
are renowned for their beauty and textures.
Tanjore Paintings: This style of the traditional art form of Indian painting arose in the late phase of South Indian classical art when the civilization in which it emerged was going through tumultuous times. These Tanjore paintings are distinguished by vibrant, simple colours, homely compositions, resplendent gold foil work, and the use of glass beads and often precious and semi-precious gems.
Rajput Paintings: Also known as the Rajasthan painting, this traditional art form of India came into existence and developed in the imperial court of Rajputana in northern India, notably in the 17th and 18th centuries. They are characterised by bold lines, intricate detailing, fine brush strokes, and vivid, eye-catching colours. These works are adorned all over the world.
Warli Paintings: Warli painting is a traditional art form of India created mostly by tribal people from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India. Warli is an authentic expression of Maharashtra’s daily and social events and is used by the tribes to beautify their house walls.
Gond Paintings: Gond paintings are a type of folk and traditional art form of India, practised by one of the largest tribes in India. The fascinating aspect of Gond’s art is the use of vibrant colours. These colours are naturally derived from plant sap, leaves, coloured soil, charcoal, and sometimes cow dung.
Phad Paintings: Phad painting or phad is a form of religious scroll painting and a traditional art form of India practised in Rajasthan. Traditionally, this is done on a long piece of fabric or canvas, known as a phad. Though each of them is culturally important, Rajasthan’s Phad painting stands out in particular for its complex identity, roots,
and efforts to revive it.
Kalamkari Paintings: Meaning ‘drawings with a pen’, Kalamkari is of two types in India: Machilipatnam, which originates from Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Srikalahasti, which originates from Chittoor in the same state. While the former refers to a block-printed form of art, the latter is a free-flowing art with a pen on fabric.
Kalighat Paintings: A recently discovered painting style originated in the 19th century Bengal, from Kalighat. It was when upheaval against the British was a possible, exciting idea. These paintings, on cloth and pattas, at first depicted Gods and Goddesses but then took a turn towards social reform. With cheap paper and paint colours, squirrel hair brushes and colour pigments, the art was characterised by flawless strokes, brushwork, and simple but bold drawings.
Conclusion:
Indian art consists of various art forms, including pottery, paintings, and textile arts. It spans the entirety of all over the Indian Subcontinent, including what is now India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and at times eastern Afghanistan. A strong sense of design is a characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern and traditional forms.
